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Kelli Johnson helps create ‘Reading Buddies’ By Kate Hill Staff Writer
In 2020, Cazenovia resident and town councilor Kelli Johnson helped create an educational children’s television show that was recently a contender for a New York Emmy award. Designed for PreK-3rd grade learners, “The Reading League’s Reading Buddies” is an engaging foundational reading television series that teaches underlying components of skillful word reading, such as phonological awareness, letter names/sounds, and blending sounds to decode words. The show features a talking dog named Dusty (Brendan Malafronte), who, with the help of his best human friend, Dott (Andrea Dotto), learns a new trick — how to read. Malafronte, who is also credited as the show’s head writer/creative producer, and Dotto, who is the showrunner/creative producer, are both Broadway actors who relocated from New York City to Manlius during the COVID pandemic. Now that Broadway has reopened, the pair has returned to NYC. Johnson is currently the director of community education and engagement at The Reading League (TRL), a national education nonprofit led by educators and reading experts dedicated to promoting knowledge to improve literacy education and accelerate the global movement toward reading instruction rooted in science. During the first season of Reading Buddies, Johnson was the TRL reading coach director and served as the show’s educational consultant. In that role, she provided the actors with background knowledge on how the brain learns to read and curricular resources grounded in scientific evidence. As the scripts were being written, she provided feedback on word choices for different segments and coached the actors on the articulation of phonemes or the delivery of content.
BOE discusses bus garage vehicle charging needs By kate hill Staff writer
Submitted photos
In June 2022, The Reading League’s “Reading Buddies” was nominated for a New York Emmy award. On Oct. 8, Cazenovia resident and town councilor Kelli Johnson, who helped create the show, attended the 65th Annual New York Emmy Awards gala at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York City. The 20-episode first season of Reading Buddies began airing on WCNY-PBS on Sept. 13, 2021 and ran through March 2022. According to a TRL press release announcing the show’s second season, the first season of Reading Buddies was released to rave reviews, and it quickly beat
ratings in Syracuse for PBS’s top shows, “Sesame Street” and “Donkey Hodie.” Since then, several PBS affiliates have picked up the show, including WSKG in Binghamton, WPBS (online) in Watertown, APTV in Alabama, and WQLN in Erie, Pennsylvania. The show is free to ‘Reading Buddies’ l Page 14
On Oct. 17, the Cazenovia Central School District Board of Education (CCSD BOE) continued its ongoing conversation regarding New York’s commitment to electrify the state’s entire school bus fleet by 2035. According to the state mandate, all new school bus purchases must be zero emission by 2027 and all school buses on the road must be fully electric by 2035. BOE member Ronald Luteran introduced the topic at the meeting by reporting that the facilities committee had a productive discussion on Oct. 11 about what should be done with the bus garage to meet the electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure needs. “Our bond on the last project retires 2025/26,” Luteran said. “It’s going to allow a $28 drop per $100,000. So, my question was, ‘What does that mean we can build if we keep it tax neutral?’ The answer is about a $5.5 million facility.” Luteran said the facilities committee ultimately decided that before any more meaningful discussion can be had, the district needs to get some preliminary plans in the works. According to Luteran, Superintendent Christopher DiFulvio agreed to contact Tetra Tech Architects & Engineers to get initial designs for various bus garage options at both Fenner Rd. and the current location on Rt. 20. “For a school district, these are concepts because we don’t get permission from the voters to design until we put it up for referendum,” said DiFulvio. Luteran also reported that although the Village and Town of Cazenovia and the BOE
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Search warrant issued at Happy Mart after illegal THC sale investigation By Kate Hill Staff Writer
On Thursday, Oct. 13, a search warrant was executed on the Happy Mart convenience store at 63 Albany St. following a threeweek-long investigation into the sale of illegal THC products. THC, which stands for delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, is the substance that is primarily responsible for the effects of marijuana on a person’s mental state. The search warrant was issued by Village Justice D. Christian Fischer and executed by the Village of Cazenovia Police Department. According to an Oct. 13 press release from the Cazenovia Police, the department received information that “look-alike products” were being sold at the store. “The look-alike products are products like gummies or cookies that contain high levels of THC and are packaged to look like a safe product,” explained Chief of Police Michael Hayes. The chief provided the example of Trips Ahoy! cookies, which are packaged to closely resemble the Chips Ahoy! brand. Happy Mart does not have a license to sell cannabis products. Further, the Village of Cazenovia Board of Trustees voted on July 1, 2021 to opt out of licensing
and establishing cannabis retail dispensaries and cannabis onsite consumption establishments within its boundaries. Therefore, even after New York State begins to issue licenses — which it has not yet done — none will be issued for the Village of Cazenovia. “As we’ve said, there are currently no legal sales of adult-use cannabis in New York State, and any storefront that jumps ahead of the process will be shut down and risk losing the opportunity to operate in the legal industry,” said Daniel Haughney, director of investigations/enforcement for the New York State Office of Cannabis Management, in the press release. “We’re thankful for our partnership with the Cazenovia Police Department, which shut down the illicit sales at this storefront. All others should be on notice: illicit sales by unlicensed stores will not be tolerated.” Hayes stated that he agrees fully with the Office of Cannabis Management. “The village board, after much debate and public hearings, made their decision and we are a country of laws,” Hayes said. “Those laws need to be followed. I want to thank all of the agencies and the village board for [their] assistance in this investigation. I believe this is the first type of police
action of this kind in New York State.” The chief reported that Happy Mart was not closed on Oct. 13; it was shut down temporarily to allow for the proper execution of the search warrant. All illegal products were seized, pursuant to the search warrant, and will be processed and sent to the New York State Police Crime Laboratory for testing to determine what criminal charges will be filed. The Cazenovia Police Department conducted its investigation with assistance from the Office of Cannabis Management, the New York State Liquor Authority, the Madison County Department of Health, and the Madison County District Attorney’s Office, and with full support from Mayor Kurt Wheeler and the village board. “The chief shared evidence of illegal activity with the board, and we fully support the efforts of our department and all of the other involved agencies to keep our community safe,” said Wheeler on Oct. 13. “We were particularly concerned with the presence of products that looked like candy but that may contain dangerous levels of THC. A child could consume these products by mistake and be endangered. The bottom [line] is that no one in New York
Kate Hill
On Thursday, Oct. 13, the Village of Cazenovia Police Department executed a search warrant on the Happy Mart convenience store at 63 Albany St. following an investigation into the sale of illegal THC products. State has been issued a license to sell cannabis products. The success of New York’s cannabis legalization regime depends upon the permit process being strictly enforced to ensure public safety and generate the revenue predicted by the legislature. I am hopeful that the state will quickly develop mechanisms to enforce
the law itself, but when illegal activity threatens the safety of local residents, especially children, municipalities may have to take action themselves, as our police department did today.” For more information on the Village of Cazenovia Police Department, visit villageofcazenovia.com/police/.
Volume 213, Number 42 The Cazenovia Republican is published weekly by Eagle News. Office of Publication: 35 Albany St., Second Floor, Cazenovia, NY 13035. Periodical Postage Paid at Cazenovia, NY 13035, USPS 095-260. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Cazenovia Republican, 2501 James St., Suite 100, Syracuse, NY 13206.
Ready. Set. Go!: Annual Pumpkin Run returns on Oct. 30.
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A GOOD RUN: Caz Girls Cross Country takes second at Tully meet..
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Editorial ��������������������� 6
PennySaver ���������������� 8
letters ������������������������ 6
Sports ����������������������� 14
Obituaries ��������������� 2,5